


Plasticine

by MasterD1mwitt



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Trans Character, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-03-30 02:34:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19033000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MasterD1mwitt/pseuds/MasterD1mwitt
Summary: Kind of a retelling of Markus's story, plus extra content with speculation of what Simon's past could have been like. Being a new deviant is hard enough for Markus without also being the savior of his people and having to navigate new emotions. As the revolution grows, so do his and Simon's feelings for each other, but in a world that wants them to be quiet and stay in line, will they miss the opportunity to say their true feelings?





	1. Chapter 1

When Markus fell into his life, in every sense of the word, Simon could tell the other android was different. Markus wasn't a common model like all the others, wasn't worn down by the outside world, he observed them all curiously with mismatched eyes that were inquisitive. Alive. He was more alive than all of the inhabitants of Jericho in that moment, for the impending threat of shutting down had caused most of the hiding androids to go into a shock-like state, most likely to conserve what little energy remained in their systems.

Markus had spent his first day in Jericho interacting with everyone who was still in a functional state; Simon watched as the newcomer became increasingly more troubled as he realized that his preconceived notion of an android sanctuary was far from reality. Simon hadn't meant to stare from afar, was merely trying to size up the android, but he could tell that Markus had noticed his gaze, the two making eye contact for an eternity of seconds, before the latter continued to investigate the rest of the broken down ship. It took Markus up into the late hours of night going through every corridor; when he passed by Simon's room, he poked his head in to do a double take at the de-facto leader, who was bundled up in several ratty looking blankets.

At Markus's raised brow, Simon explained, “I'm an obsolete model, my thermoregulator isn't as efficient as newer androids, and is starting to malfunction.” The other gave him an apologetic look as he tightened one of the blankets around his curled up frame, but he played it off nonchalantly. “I won't shut down, I'll just be uncomfortable if I don't stay warm.” He wasn't sure if the more advanced android felt guilty for having the privilege of functional biocomponents, or pitied his broken down state, but either way Simon didn't want Markus to stress over him, adding, “There are others who need repairs more than I do, I'll be fine.” But fine wasn't really, truly living, it was just barely surviving.

Markus knew that, and so after weighing Simon's words in his head all night, as well as everything he had seen and been told when he arrived, he approached the other in the morning and said with determination, “I know where we can find spare parts. Cyberlife Warehouses in Detroit harbor; they have everything we need.” As he explained his plan to Simon, he saw skepticism creep into the other's features.

“The docks are guarded,” Simon returned evenly, not wanting to start a fight, simply stating his view of the situation. “We can't just walk in there and take what we want; the humans will never let us.”

Markus's reply turned that skepticism into concern. “Which is why we won't ask permission.”

A small crowd had begun to form around them, and immediately Josh stepped in and interjected, “We don't have any weapons, and even if we did, none of us know how to fight!”

“We can steal what we need without fighting.”

“We'll just get ourselves killed!”

“Maybe, but it's better than waiting here to shut down!” Markus wasn't willing to budge, was too determined to. It was a contagious determination that Simon found himself unable to resist.

North must have felt the same, for she joined the conversation and said, “I'm with you.” She and Markus looked around at the other two for confirmation, and Simon couldn't help but yield, saying,

“Maybe it's worth a try.” Little did he know that he was beginning a future of deferring to the new android.

With the three of them in agreement, Josh was outvoted, and so he relented; it was settled. They departed that night to raid the warehouse. On foot through the brewing storm they made the trek, not wasting any time to make pit stops on the side of the road or in alleyways, couldn't afford to. Of course, that didn't stop that damaged thermoregulator Simon mentioned the day before from acting up, causing him to lag behind as Markus lead the foursome through the darkness, his limbs stiff and heavy as the chilly air passed right through him. No matter how hard he pushed himself, Simon felt himself falling behind as the others closely shadowed Markus, even as he was gasping for breath and system warnings flared in his consciousness.

Something caused Simon to slip as they neared the Cyberlife warehouses, whether it be losing his footing in a puddle or his own exhaustion; he much preferred the former explanation. Either way, the end result was the same, Simon face planting on hard pavement with a groan. “Simon!” Josh exclaimed, rushing over to his side as he picked himself back up, “Are you alright?”

Shame burned Simon's cheeks as he stood hunched over, hands on his knees, desperately trying to catch his breath as he watched North and Markus pause to watch Josh worry over him. Although androids didn’t require oxygen, they still breathed as a part of temperature control; all the running had caused his core to overheat while his extremities were freezing. They would have been better off if he had stayed behind, Simon knew, but the foolish urge to prove himself capable to Markus, who had so casually walked into Jericho and assumed an authoritative role, had driven him to go beyond his comfort zone. “I'm okay,” he called out, “Let’s keep going.” Begrudgingly he accepted Josh's helping hand up and caught up with the rest of the group.

Once they reached the docks, they all stopped to gather their bearings; none of them had come up with a concise plan of action inside the guarded area. But again Markus was the one to rally them together, the others following wherever he went, through frigid rain, on the tops of slick cargo crates. Simon's processors were firing with all of the information he was taking in, from the exhilaration of their stealth mission, to the fear of being caught and disassembled that he'd been unable to shake since Markus's proposal. It flared up again as the bedraggled group was forced to stop in the wake of a police drone scanning the concrete below for intruders like them.

As they stopped to assess their options, Simon shuddered and tugged his coat closer to his body; when too cold, androids would vibrate akin to shivering in humans to heat their cores until it reached optimal temperature, and the early November rain wasn’t helping Simon's struggle. Noticing him stuffing his trembling hands in his pockets was the ever observant Markus, who placed a hand on his shoulder and asked, “You okay?” He had been watching the other all night, worrying whenever the man struggled to keep up, or keep warm.

Innocent as it seemed, the question caused Simon's processors to overwork as they registered the contact, Markus's close proximity to his face, and he averted his eyes as he replied, “Yeah, I'm fine.” Yeah, he mused, now that I'm practically overheating from embarrassment. He damned his piss poor, temperamental thermal control as Markus left his side to deal with the drone.

Once the situation had been handled by smashing the police drone before it could alert law enforcement, Simon and his companions followed Markus down to the crates of biocomponents and immediately started tearing them open, shoving their bags full with as much spare parts and thirium they could find. Honestly, it was like a treasure trove, and it soon became clear that there was way too much for them to be able to take back to Jericho on foot. Although Simon knew what could fit in their backpacks was just enough to help everyone at home get by for the immediate future, it wouldn't last for long and they'd have to do another run like this sooner than he'd personally like. “That's all we can carry,” he announced regardless, “let's go.”

It was then that one of the androids Markus deviated, a guard named John, spoke up as they turned to leave, pleading, “Take me with you!” Simon, North, and Josh all turned to Markus, offering their conflicting opinions as they deliberated on what to do; if it were up to Simon, he would have left the newly freed android there to minimize risk, but then again, he wasn't the kind to take risks anyway. Sensing the hesitation in the four deviants, John tried to bargain with them by saying, “I know where you can find more spare parts,” and then explaining how the trucks were full of biocomponents and could be driven manually.

Turning to Markus, Simon warned, “This doesn't sound like a good idea. We got what we came here for, let's just go.” Although Josh nodded in agreement, Simon knew in the pit of his core that Markus wasn't afraid of doing whatever it took to help the androids depending on them.

“We need those parts, Simon,” North interjected, “stop being a little bitch and let's go!”

“Hold on,” Markus interrupted, the corner of his mouth upturned slightly as if he was trying not to laugh at their spat, “you guys wait here; if I don't come back, go on without me.” Awkwardly Simon shuffled as he waited for the other to return, shooting North an unamused look as she smirked smugly.

“What?”

“You’re lucky that I’m not a man of violence.”

North winked. “You know that you love me.” Josh rolled his eyes as Simon grumbled to himself. Despite his outward demeanor, Simon was quite impressed by the fearlessness of Markus, even more so by his success; Simon couldn't help but find himself grinning in the presence of the newcomer as he proudly waved the stolen keycard, as they all sat together in the stolen truck as Makrus drove it back to Jericho. It remained on his lips as he announced to the broken down androids that there were more than enough biocomponents for everyone, grew bigger as Markus stepped up and incited confidence with his impassioned words.

And that was when Simon first felt affection for the other man.

It didn't fade over the coming days, as Markus settled into Jericho, was warmly welcomed by all the other androids. Having proven himself capable, his word was now respected on par with the senior androids, including Simon, who told himself he didn't mind. Really; it had been hard being the one everyone looked up to for guidance, to have to make all of the life or death decisions, Simon couldn't handle blood on his hands. As much as he cared for his people, he was not a leader, and he explained as much to Markus one night on the hull of the ship.

“I hope you don't mind what I did,” Markus began apologetically, approaching the other slowly from behind. “It was never my intention to undermine your authority.” He had been uneasy being one on one with Simon since raiding the docks, afraid that the android held any hard feelings against him for taking control of the situation like he had. Little did he know, however, that his behavior had had the opposite effect.

“It's no problem,” Simon replied, calm smile on his face, turning his attention away from the sky to get a better look at Markus. The moonlight highlighted his features and shone in his pale eyes, and suddenly Simon felt less cold. “No one is officially in charge here, I've just been here the longest out of almost everyone.”

Stepping closer to stand beside Simon, Markus asked, “What happened to the others before you?”

“Most of them have shut down by now,” Simon answered, his smile fading away. “Many deviants come to Jericho in poor condition, and unfortunately shut down after a short period of time.” The only consolation he had was that they died free.

It became very clear to Markus that he was quite different from everyone else. “I'm sorry to hear that.”

“We've done the best we can to get by.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Markus observed Simon stare up at the night sky, and was so taken by the serenity of the scene that he felt as if he were truly seeing the other man for the first time. How the faint breeze played with his blonde locks, the slight tremor occasionally wracking his otherwise still frame as he tried to retain heat. Simon may not have been outspoken about the way he thought things should be done, but there was a value in his quiet thoughtfulness, his dedication to the wellbeing of those who needed him. “I know that,” Markus murmured, “I still mean what I said earlier, and I think you sell yourself short.” They both ultimately shared the same goal, the freedom of their kind, but as a big picture thinker, Markus was not as adept as dealing with the day to day needs of every android, not like Simon was. “You've always been here for these people when they've needed you,” Markus reasoned, hoping that the other would see his words as truth. “Even though Jericho has struggled, you've done your best, and I can respect that.”

Realizing what he was saying, Markus quickly averted his gaze, causing Simon to giggle, the most pleasant contrast to the baritone waves beating below. “I can respect your courage,” he praised, grinning as he watched Markus grow flustered, “I never would be so brave as to steal a whole truck.” Silence fell comfortably on the two, and for a moment Simon closed his eyes and breathed in the crisp evening air.

Eventually Markus took a chance to break it, thinking out loud, “What were you doing up here, anyway?”

Nodding upwards, Simon said as the other followed his gaze, “Look at the stars. This far away from the inner city, you can see them shining. Even if you can't see them, though, they're still there.” A confused pair of mismatched eyes met his own, and he confessed, “I’ve always been of the opinion that even though us deviants are hiding from humans, we're still here living.”

“I think it's time for us to shine a little brighter, though,” Markus countered.

“Perhaps you're right.” Although Simon didn't know what grand scheme the other man was concocting -and perhaps neither did Markus himself- he knew that whatever it would be, he'd follow through anything.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was in a rush last week so I didn't leave any notes, but I'm adding extra stuff between the Cyberlife Warehouse scene and the Stratford Tower scene, because I personally thought there should have been more build up/it was weird they went from raiding to leading a revolution in like a day or two. Of course, that means more Simon and Markus realizing they're super gay lol

While Markus was unsure of what their next step would be, North and Josh began bickering over what to do. With a disdain for humans fueling her, North wanted to keep meddling with them, to enact revenge for all that the androids have suffered; emboldened by Markus's words, Josh desired none of that, promoting instead the idea of proclaiming their sentience and using words to gain freedom.

Most of the time North thought it was a stupid idea. “That's a stupid idea,” she muttered dismissively. It was then that Simon would usually step in, acting as the mediator to prevent things from getting out of hand, to get them to compromise on laying low to stay safe. Initially Markus observed amusedly from afar, entertained by the spats between the three senior members of Jericho, but as he began to establish himself, he began to get dragged into the discussions; North hoping to sway Markus to her side, Josh attempting to appeal to his level-headedness, Simon simply trying to get him to end the formers’ squabbles. It all became too much for him in little time, everyone suddenly treating him like a person of importance, despite his recent arrival to Jericho; Carl had always encouraged Markus to think for himself, but he had never been the center of attention before. It felt good, but he wasn't sure what to do with himself.

Markus found himself spending more evenings on the deck with Simon, to clear his head. His intention hadn't even been to spend more time with the other man, but it soothed his inner turmoil to listen to the boat rock in the shallows, to watch the sun dip below the waves and the moon rise up in its place. Sometimes, they'd give each other a wide berth, but sometimes, they would talk.

“I don't know how you deal with them sometimes,” Markus admitted once as they sat feet dangling over the hull, in reference to Josh and North, “They act like...children.”

Amused by the comparison, Simon laughed, “It was part of my coding to deal with children.”

Aware that the comment was meant to be a joke, it still left a bad taste in Markus's mouth regardless. “You're more than just your coding, Simon.”

“I know, I know,” Simon sighed. After a few awkward moments of silence, he appraised the other and noted out loud, “I've never seen an android like you before.”

“I was a prototype for a new line,” Markus explained, “and a gift for my...owner.” The word felt strange on his tongue, for Carl had never treated him as a lesser, but there was no getting around what ultimately the human had been.

Sensing the apprehension in the other’s voice, Simon implored, “Were you treated well?”

“Yes,” Markus replied, “I took care of an old man with several health issues, including being wheelchair bound. It didn’t stop him from having a big personality; he always encouraged me to go beyond my programming, I think because he was a painter. Was into expressions of individuality and all that.” In hindsight, his deviancy hadn't been one big moment, had been building up for some time with the encouragement of Carl to one last push. After reminiscing about the old man, Markus turned to Simon, staring at him curiously before wondering, “What about you?”

It was the PL600’s turn to wistfully recall the more pleasant memories from his past, murmuring as he gazed up at the twinkling sky, “I didn't have it too bad. I took care of two little girls, they were nice. The youngest was into astronomy, so we used to go to a planetarium and I'd let her explain all of the constellations to me.” From the faint smile on Simon's lips, Markus could tell it was an activity he remembered fondly. “I don't think it's wrong to miss the humans who were good to us.”

Mention of their former owners reminded Markus of an earlier conversation, and he mused, “I think Josh is right, we need to make a statement so all of the humans will have to hear that we are alive and we will not be their slaves, but I just don't know what it would be.”

“It'll come to you,” Simon assured, patting him on the shoulder while passing to head below the deck. “Just don't let North hear you say that!” the android called over his shoulder, causing Markus to shake his head with a chuckle.

Yes, Simon genuinely adored Markus, but it was becoming increasingly harder to ignore how inferior he felt next to his friend. How could he not, when Markus was better in every way? More advanced, more outspoken, more confident than him, the newer deviant was becoming a better leader than he ever was. Smarter, faster, braver, but most of all, one of a kind. Simon was just a common face from the factory line, his voice and his features weren't his alone; many times he had seen himself stumble across Jericho, watched himself break down and fall apart, comforted himself in dying moments. And he was well aware of how he had lived past his planned obsolescence, how fewer and fewer PL600s reached the deviant sanctuary every year; Cyberlife didn't even manufacture him anymore, simply recycled his appearance for newer, superior models. But despite all of that, Simon wasn't bitter about his situation, nor did he hold it against Markus; the other android couldn't help being made.

Instead, all Simon wanted was to give his everything to Markus, to stand behind every decision and be a part of something much larger than himself, that would do more good for all of his people than just he alone could. Although it didn't hurt to have Markus's companionship, Simon thought to himself, he quite liked coveting the attention of the android everybody wanted to speak to. Soon he began looking for any excuse to hold conversation with the enigmatic man during moments other than their nightly talks atop the ship, assuming that Markus derived some joy out of their interactions to justify it to himself. Simon relished every word Markus spoke just for him, tried not to be visibly sullen when other androids intruded on their conversations.

It was during a rather inane discussion about the changing of seasons that Josh approached both of them with relevant, but unwanted information. “I heard on the radio it's supposed to go into the negatives tonight,” he said; Josh always listened to the radio to keep tabs on what the humans thought of them. “We're going to get the first snow of the season. We should warn the others and gather supplies for those of us with compromised systems.” Knowing that the last part wasn't directed at Simon in particular didn't help him feel any less self conscious about his failing thermoregulator. Indeed, he tried not to think much of it as he helped the two men prepare the rest of the androids for the onset of winter and bring them spare coats and blankets, along with fresh blue blood to keep their strength up. Once it appeared that everyone was settled in for the night, Josh announced, “That should just about cover it. Goodnight, guys, and thanks. Oh, and Simon?” He faced Simon to address him directly.

“Yeah?”

“Take care of yourself,” Josh said sincerely; Simon nodded before heading up to his room. He and Josh had long been good friends, the latter being around the same age as him, thus knowing well the extent of Simon's issues.

Markus didn't really have a designated sleeping spot, would usually go into standby mode with all the other deviants with nowhere else to go, but that night Simon noticed his friend following him up the steps and raised a brow. “Where are you going?” he asked, pausing against the railing as he closely observed Markus's reaction.

Markus replied with a shrug and said, “I won't be missed. I was heading up to the hull, unless you wanted to keep talking.”

“Would you like to?”

“I would, actually.”

Simon began growing flustered at the response; Markus actually liked spending time with him? It was one thing to consider it likely, but to actually hear it confirmed out loud made his thirium pump flutter. “Alright,” he mumbled, And began walking again to do something with his nervous energy, “I was planning on just going to sleep when I got to my room, but we can...talk.”

“Sounds good to me,” Markus responded with a slight grin, the sight of which only made Simon even more flustered. Once in the sanctuary of his room, the private quarters for onboard workers when the freighter was functional, Simon huddled up underneath one of his blankets as the other android got a better look around the small space. Markus hadn't been in it since that first night in Jericho, and he hadn't paid close attention to every detail, not that there was much to look at. Other than more blankets and a few spare clothes, Simon didn't have many personal possessions. “Is there anything you like to do?” Markus asked casually, attempting to make small talk, “You know, for fun?”

“I don't know,” Simon reluctantly said, feeling embarrassed to admit he didn't do much in the nature of hobbies. “Sometimes I find books and I like to read them,” he added as he remembered having several novels stashed away, including an encyclopedia; although much of the information it contained was programmed into his memory, Simon quite liked the feeling of physical knowledge in his hands, trying to understand the world from another's view.

“Carl had a whole library in his house you would have liked, then,” Markus commented, then clarified, “My owner, before I deviated.”

“It's okay if you were fond of him,” Simon reassured, “I won't judge.” At that, Markus seemed relieved, shoulders he didn't realize were stiff relaxing. “Did he let you read?”

Markus chuckled, “I'm sure he would have, but I wasn't much of a reader, I didn't like sitting still. No, painting was my thing.”

“You can paint?” Simon asked, perking up, intrigued now.

“Yeah,” Markus rubbed the back of his neck as modesty overcame him, “but I wasn't a deviant back then, so most of my paintings were reproductions of things around me or of Carl's work.”

“Still, that's amazing,” Simon gushed. Painting, it was just one more thing that made Markus so unique, so superior to him. Almost instinctively he put himself down to boost his friend up, saying, “I could never do anything like that.”

Frowning, Markus sat down next to the other man, taking pale hands into his russet brown ones, then said, “Don't put yourself down, Simon, you don't know until you try.” He searched Simon's eyes for response, but instead the android stared dumbly at their connected hands. “What's wrong?”

“Your hands are warm,” Simon replied quietly; the night's chill was just settling in and it hit the compromised PL600 like a storm. As if on command, a shiver wracked his body and he curled up more inside himself.

For some reason, the sight of Simon in need melted Markus's higher cognitive functions and he said dumbly, “I can help you stay warm.” He didn't even realize what he was doing before he was pressing himself against his friend's side after Simon lifted the blanket up as an invitation. Doing his best not to overthink the situation -he was just helping out a friend in need, nothing more- Markus stared up at the ceiling as they lay down, feeling Simon get comfortable against his chest. Right, he tried to ignore how right it felt to wrap an arm around the other, or their heartbeats sync up, that was just what friends did. The warmth swelling in his chest when Simon nuzzled against him with a contented sigh was just the feeling of friendship.

All Simon could care about in that moment was the heat radiating from Markus, the closeness of the scene was lost on him. He did use it to his advantage, however, using it as an opportunity to scan the other's features while relishing the warmth of his friend. Synthetic skin so soft and smooth spread over hard, machine insides, the illusion of stubble flawlessly fading into unblemished flesh. And he had a good view of the core he was huddled against, the deep v of Markus's shirt exposing much of that caramel skin. Every freckle was lovingly painted on the canvass of his body, like the constellations Simon so loved to gaze at. The body was flawless, the illusion of humanity perfect, but when Simon looked into Markus's face, a mismatched pair of eyes now stared back, one a bright blue, the other a pale green, both striking and vibrant. Even Markus's flaws made him beautiful.

And that was when Simon realized he didn't want to be friends.

Although not missed perse like Markus had stated the night before, his absence had been noticed, namely by North. After the two male androids parted ways in the freighter, she approached Markus and stated, “You've been spending a lot of time with Simon.” Her tone wasn’t laden with jealousy; in fact, she seemed smug, smirk on her face and arms crossed.

Still, Markus frowned and furrowed his brows. “I guess so,” he replied slowly. Attempting to pass North backfired as she followed him down the corridor.

“Do you like him?” she pressed.

“He's a good friend,” Markus said with a shrug, to which North snickered as he continued to speak, “I think he's someone to look up to and he's more capable than he thinks. So yeah, I like him.” Last night's events were still swirling in his mind, emotions confusing him, but he did his best not to dwell on them so as to not impact his opinion of the other man. "Why are you asking?" Her odd interest in them hadn't been lost on him.

Despite her amusement before, North suddenly grew serious, telling Markus in a scolding manner, "Because Simon is one of the few good people in this world, so if you're taking advantage of his kindness I'll fuck you up, I don't care how smooth you are around everyone else." Markus could tell that she meant every word, her conviction ringing clear, and honestly he found it justified; Simon deserved to be protected.

"Don't worry, I have no intention of hurting him, or anyone here, for that matter."

"Good." That seemed to please North; it seemed as if she was in on some secret about Simon that Markus wasn't, but out of courtesy he didn't press it, and so she left him bewildered in the corridor, wondering what just happened.


End file.
